Introduction

The Okura Amsterdam was the first property of the Japanese Okura Hotels to be established outside Japan. The hotel was officially opened in 1971. It is located in the hip and trendy De Pijp neighbourhood of Amsterdam and easily accessible on foot from Amsterdam Zuid station in thirty minutes. Alternatively, you can catch a northbound M52 metro train from Zuid to De Pijp. It’s two stops.

The Okura serves a Japanese interpretation of afternoon tea at their Serre restaurant that I’ve been meaning to try for a long time.

The lobby of the hotel has a very Japanese feel to it. It’s hard to pinpoint why, but it reminds me a lot of the Century Southern Tower Hotel in Shinjuku, which is where I usually stay when I’m in Tokyo.

The Service & Staff

The afternoon tea is served at Serre, which is the hotel’s main restaurant that serves meals throughout the day. The restaurant has a wide glass facade overlooking one of the city’s many canals. It feels cozy and intimate, even though it’s quite busy.

The table is nicely set, with a four tier étagère in the centre. The staff at the restaurant are all just lovely and so friendly. They chat easily with the patrons while offering a very polished and elegant service. Throughout the meal, they make sure to explain the service and provide detailed explanations of the individual dishes. The service is also quite elaborate. For example, after each course all the cutlery, plates and cups are replaced.

The afternoon tea is divided in three courses. For the first course, the savouries are served. The second course transitions from savouries to sweets, and then the last course is the sweets. What is a bit unusual about the Okura’s afternoon tea, is that there is no menu for the teas. Instead, the teas have been paired by the chef to complement the food. What is also interesting, is that none of the teas they serve are black.

The Savouries

For the savouries, there are quite a few elegantly prepared dishes. On the étagère, there are two okonimaya style shrimp pancakes and two small steamed bun burgers with braised short rib and a gorgeous aniseed mayo. Then there is a small bowl with a divine and delicately balanced corn soup that soothingly wraps itself around your soul, and a sea bream ceviche in a spicy corn cream sauce. The savouries are accompanied by an interesting Japanese Sencha with surprising notes of peach that linger on the palate, and that goes surprisingly well with the food.

The Transition Course

The transition course is the scones with a twist. There are two scones with sun dried tomatoes and cheese. These are served with a rich and creamy olive tapenade.

And then there are two sweet vanilla scones that are served with cream and an absolutely magnificent jam made of strawberries, cranberries, and yuzu. The jam is so good and incredibly refreshing. With the scones, an oolong tea is served.

The Sweets Course

For the sweets, there is a plate on every one of the four tiers of the étagère. At the bottom we have mini tarte tatins and two vanilla and sake macarons. On the next level is a tartlet of chestnut vermicelles and candied orange peel. Next is a variation of a Black Forrest gâteau with chocolate cream. And then at the top are two choux pastries filled with cream and a pear compote in port wine. With this dish a delicate Chinese white tea is served.

Conclusion

From start to finish, the afternoon tea at the Okura’s Serre restaurant takes two hours to complete at a pleasant, leisurely pace. And I am mightily impressed. This was one of the more elaborate afternoon teas I’ve had, second only to Le Meurice in Paris. I greatly enjoyed it. It’s not just that the dishes were all very well prepared and fresh, they were also quite unusual and gave this afternoon tea a distinct and unique touch. The setting in Serre restaurant was also very nice. Together with the excellent and attentive service of the waiting staff, this made for a very pleasant experience and a great way to spend an afternoon.